The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-03
ICE IN THE MAINS
OF WHEELING NATURAL GAS CO.
Is Found to DO tho Cause Of the Shortage OF
supply Heroabouts- 1t Is lilown Out.
Three New Lines TO BIO Buiit tho
Coming Season to NIeet Wants.

, Tho Wheeling Natural Gas Company
has been experiencing a good deal OF
trouble with obstruCtiona in liz lines for
the paste weeks, which has rendered
the supply Of gas amongst consumers
somewhat limited. A search for the
trouble has been going on night and day
by Superintendent Ross and his men,
which resulted in removing lnoat Of the
trouble on Sunday last, since which time
tho limo has bsen working satisfactorily.
The method 81 locatingthe trouble was by
tho use OF test gaugea. The company has
n ten.inch limo from tho wells for a die.
lance Of twelve milea, where the twelve
inch limo begins and extends for c distance
Of thirteen miles to where the line crossea
tho river at station "B." When the gauge
showp, say, 250 pounds o. the wells, there
should DO about 100 at tho end OF the ton.
inch line, or a loss Of ninety pounds, abou.
| eight pounds to the mile.
Pressure gauges were placed at the two
points named and II wan found that the
loss in that distance was OF tho rate Of
about sixteen pounds TO tho mile. Tests
were then made at the intermediate
points until the distractions wero located.
The line was cut at various places and
the gas allowed TO blow out under O
pressure Of from $50 TO 800 pounds, bring.
ing with 1t large quantities OF gasoline
and water, much Of which was formed
into POROUS slushy ice, caused by the &C.
ton Of tho cold gas on tho water which
had collected from the wells. One OF the
curious features Of tho formation was TIA,
this ice was formed in The pipes four ieat
under ground, when the ground around
tho pipe was aofs and comparatively
warm, the frost having penetrated only
elk or eight inches below the surface.
Gas experts arc Of tho opinion that tbs
same volume OF gas will do forty rercenl
moro work in summer than in winter
being the result partially OF condensation
Of the gas into gasoline, the more ~sluggiat
flow OF tho gas in winter than in summer
and from the increased amount OF "a.
nccosesty to produce the same result il
cold weather over warm. The Wheelin.
Conpany's line Is the longest line eve
built having to aupply q large manufac
turing community, and they ere arrang
ing to run two additional lines during tht
coming season to meet the Increased de-
mand Tor next winter.
They have two wells drilling, one on tn,
Reyburn and one on the Mercer farm
about two miles south Of tho Hickory
field. This field ia entirely new, hayiui
but one well drilled anywhere in th,
neighhorhood, that being on tho Nc
knight farm, and belonging to the Manu
fsCturers' Gas Company Of Pittsburgh. II
will be remembered that. it was at thii
well that Mr.. Crocker, OF tho Chartierl
Company, was killed O few weeks since
the gas having burst ono OF tho fttings
cutting one OF Crocker's legs entirely OF
The owIels OF this we'll have never tested
it, IS they we're afraid 70 shut it in 10 III
full pressure. 1t Is believed TO be one o.
the strongest in Washington county.
As coon rs tho two wells above named
are drilled the company will run an S.inch
line to connect with its main 10-iuch line
thus feeding up this line about FIVE miller
from it's starting point.
The Wheeling company ha3 within
AV" uayb PhASANsON tIS builtlusUl Sli
well, which was recently struck in the
TaylorstoTn field some two m.les north Of
the Taylorstown (McManus) oil well, And
have also acquired several Thousand acres
OF gas territory around the Donaldson
well. They will run q new line from the
Taylorstown field during the coming sum.
mer into tho head OF their present 12.inch
line. This will shorten up their main line
some seven miles and carry the full pres
sure OF tho Hickory and Taylors,own
fields down to the head Of their Pinch
line.
1t is understood that the West Virginia
Company will alao build Il now limo from
Taylors!own this season.
These additional lines will cost Q !srsa
amount OF money and will greatly benefit
both the Fa5 companies sRd tho msnuilc.
turers Of this vicinity.